Portrait photography can run the gamut in type and style—everything from the traditional “head and shoulders” shot to lifestyle and environmental, candid and street, glamour, boudoir, maternity sessions and much more. View some of the eye-catching portraits and photos of the week that caught our attention, and read the backstories on the how they were created.

“This shot was taken during bridal prep at a recent wedding I covered at the magnificent Grand Hotel of Eastbourne in the U.K.,” says wedding and portrait photographer Andrea Verenini. “As the bridal party was about to leave the room, the flower girl’s dress came undone at the back. The bridesmaids quickly gathered around the little girl to fix her dress and I took the shot.”

As a photographer, Verenini says he is obsessed with interesting light as a means to emphasize a particular emotion he is striving to capture in a moment. “In this case, I loved the victorian room layout and how it worked well with the positioning of the bridesmaids and the flower girls—it allowed for an interesting backlit situation. The flower girl is glowing, which is in direct contrast to the bridesmaids who appear as strong silhouettes, and there is a sense of mystery created within the frame. Turning this shot black-and-white added to that mystery.”

“This image of Juniper is from a family session I shot a few weeks ago,” says photographer Jonas Seaman. “My wife Mary and I have been documenting this family now periodically over the last nine years and it’s been amazing to watch the two girls in this family grow up—I’m super grateful to have the privilege of photographing their childhood.”

The girls’ mother and father (Chad and Kristin) are super creative, and they always bring something special to every session, adds Seaman. “Chad brought a picnic blanket, fishing poles, and vintage outdoor magazines, and Kristin created and sewed one of the daughter’s outfits.”

For fun, Seaman brought along a toy Holga film camera, along with a couple 90’s era film point and shoots, coupled with his usual digital gear. “I’m not a hybrid shooter for my professional work, so it was fun to break away from my comfort zone. Also, using the Holga (and given the fact that point and shoots are by their very nature ‘toys’) took all the pressure off of having to make the photos look professional. Instead of having high or low expectations with the film work, I think we were all just curious about what we could make with these cameras.”

Seaman says the photo of Juniper is his favorite because it was shot with the Holga, which he loaded with Ilford HP5 film. “The center of the image is surprisingly sharp considering it’s coming from a cheap plastic lens, and I love how the Holga lens makes the sides of the frame vignette and blur out,” he explains. “The Holga is known for its light leaks, and there are a couple of subtle leaks at the top left of the photo. I especially love the flatness and tones of the HP5 film. But all these ‘perfect imperfections’ are nothing without Juniper as a subject. Like all photos, this was a collaboration, and Juniper was the one stealing the show. All I did was click the shutter. Juniper commanded the frame.”

This couple wanted very colorful photography to match the mountain setting for their Colorado destination wedding,” explains National Park Elopement Photographer Lucy Schultz.

“Haze from forest fires across the west blocked out the mountain views at sunset, so I told the couple we would make an after-dark portrait instead.” says Schultz. “Using a single light held by a guest, I photographed the couple sharing a quiet moment. I used a double exposure of the rustic orange lanterns at the venue to frame them and add the color they desired.”

Photographed by Jacob Gordon in Lancelin Sand Dunes in Western Australia, the approach for this shoot was to capture the sheer scale of the sand dunes and show just how magnificent and grand the landscape is.

“I was photographing the couple backlit, but I was finding that the backlighting wasn’t allowing me to capture the deep blue color of the sky,” Gordon explains. “I had the couple turn and walk the other way, having the sun directly on them. I was able to underexpose the image slightly to really capture the blue of the sky and the rich, golden color of the sand dunes.”

Gordon especially loves the colors, composition and the moment in this image. “The red dress and blue shirt from the outfits of the couple provide a perfect balance between the golden yellow sand dunes and the blue sky,” he says. “The couple is centered in the image and in the highest peak of the sand dunes, which provides an element of symmetry. The last element I love from this image is the moment and the couple. They both turn to each other at the right time, making eye contact. They are walking into their future together, holding hands, and letting each other know they will be by each other’s side in their future together.”

Taken in Trafalgar Square in London, UK, Bridget Davey says this image—which just won Judges Choice in the International Pet Photographer of the Year awards hosted by The Pet photographers Club—captures subject Daphne perfectly! (“The image was taken during a normal client shoot at a London Signature Session,” says Davey.)

“I love her character, her sense of adventure, her amazing big ears. And you can see Trafalgar Square in the background. The perfect shot of a little dog in the big city,” says Davey.

“It was shortlisted in the 25 best Pet Portraits and won Judges Choice by judge Cat Race,” the photographer adds. “I love that the judges chose an image that’s totally natural. No flash used, nothing is photoshopped. It is only lightly edited with some of the shadows lifted and some vibrancy added.”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more compelling imagery.